T.J. Watt Reveals Key Game-Plan Change That Led To Defensive Resurgence Against Colts
For T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, less was more Sunday afternoon. For a group underwhelming relative to talent, the team went back to basics. Stop the run, beat blocks, force turnovers. That stopped a red-hot Indianapolis Colts offense in its tracks, giving the ball away six times and held to 20 points in just their second loss of the season.
Speaking after the Steelers’ 27-20 win, Watt said a simpler strategy was key.
“Just pin our ears back. Simplifying the game plan,” Watt told CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn immediately after the game. “Things we talked about all week. Smashing the run obviously helps. Offense did their job today and we just wanted to go out there and create turnovers. And we did it.”
A simpler game plan was created partially out of necessity. Pittsburgh had multiple secondary injuries, especially at safety. Jalen Ramsey shifted to the position full-time Sunday while Kyle Dugger, who didn’t practice until last Thursday, played 77 of the Steelers’ 78 defensive snaps. Mike Tomlin gave him a game ball for his efforts. The plan was also slimmed down to increase team speed and reduce communication breakdowns. Pittsburgh blitzed less, focused more on coverage, and used two-high shells to keep a lid on the Colts’ vertical attack.
Pittsburgh had six takeaways for the first time since 2010. Five of those came on defense. Watt had a helping hand in the action, forcing a key strip/sack fumble of QB Daniel Jones that Watt recovered. His 35th forced fumble of his career, 10 more than any other NFL player since Watt entered the league in 2017.
That opened the floodgates for the rest of the defense to join in. Alex Highsmith forced a fumble that DL Derrick Harmon recovered while the Steelers intercepted QB Daniel Jones three times. CB Joey Porter Jr., ILB Payton Wilson, and EDGE Jack Sawyer all came away with the ball. Entering the game, Jones had thrown just three interceptions all season. The Colts had turned it over just four total times.
The Steelers broke a 13-quarter takeaway drought. And ended a week of intense criticism for their lackluster play on defense. Not that Watt needed outside scolding to know things must improve.
“We critique ourselves very hard ourselves, so there’s a lot of film that needed to be corrected,” Watt said. “We didn’t need people from the outside telling us. We took plenty of pride in fixing it.”
Of course, Watt knows as well as anyone it’s a week-to-week league. Pittsburgh can’t rest on its laurels after one impressive outing.
“We can’t be licking ourselves all over after one game,” he said. “We just need get back in the lab and attack next week.”
Next week comes against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are likely to play the game without star left tackle Joe Alt. That’s good news for a Steelers pass rush that’s feeling it, though Pittsburgh has disappointed in seemingly advantageous matchups before.
The Steelers don’t need to be licking but must continue the picking in order to keep sticking opponents with losses — and the Steelers with wins.
Mike Tomlin Declares Steelers Have 'Saved Their Season' After Stunning 27-20 Victory Over Colts
Just a week ago, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had reached their lowest point of the season. A discouraging home loss to the Green Bay Packers on national television left fans frustrated and losing hope, but that narrative shifted on Sunday with a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers’ defense stepped up in a big way, holding the league’s top-ranked offense to its fewest points of the year while forcing six turnovers.
It felt like there was a completely different Steelers team on the field in Week 9 compared to the one we saw in Week 8. Despite a couple of hiccups, the defense played their best game of the season against the toughest opponent they’ve faced thus far in the Colts.
In his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin praised his team’s energy and focus throughout the week, saying it was exactly the kind of response he wanted to see after a disappointing showing against Green Bay.
"It was a tough week, but we certainly deserved it based on the last performance," Tomlin said. "I like the way the guys absorbed it and smiled in the face of it and prepared and waited for the next opportunity, that's the National Football League. It’s a big-time win for the collective."
The Steelers certainly made the most of that opportunity. After going three straight games without forcing a single turnover, the defense exploded for six takeaways against the Colts, intercepting Daniel Jones three times and recovering three fumbles. It once again was a flash of how good this defense really can be.
Inside linebacker Payton Wilson had a monster performance, compiling 14 total tackles to go along with two passes defended and an interception in the first half that completely changed the game's momentum. Joey Porter Jr. had his best game of the season, despite a couple of penalties. Porter made eight tackles to go along with a sack while defending four passes and sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps what makes the defensive performance that much more impressive is the fact that the Steelers were down multiple key contributors. Cole Holcomb, Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott, Cory Trice, and Jabrill Peppers all sat out Sunday's game with injuries and illness, but those who did suit up were able to fill their shoes in route to the win.
Offensively, it wasn't a flawless performance, but it was enough to get the win. The Steelers totaled only 225 yards of offense while committing one turnover, but the Steelers took advantage of Indianapolis' mistakes and were able to get points when it mattered most. Pittsburgh scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter as well as 10 points in the fourth quarter to build their lead, which ended up being the difference.
Steelers Might've Saved Their Season With Big Win Over Colts
The victory couldn’t have come at a better time. The Steelers snap their two-game losing streak and remain in first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh still has some difficult opponents ahead of them, but this win certainly has to be a confidence booster for a team that really needed it. After back-to-back weeks of giving up 33+ points, the Steelers held the highest-scoring offense in the NFL to just 20 points, and held potential MVP candidate
If the Steelers can carry the momentum from Sunday’s performance, they could be back in the hunt for a top seed in the AFC. A huge win over a strong, legitimate contender can shift the team’s mindset and boost confidence, and they’ll need to ride that energy with tough opponents coming up on the schedule.
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